Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering assembly for docking a marine vessel and, in particular, to a steering assembly for docking a marine vessel with at least three propulsion units.
Description of the Related Art
In conventional marine steering systems, an operator may use a joystick to manoeuver and dock the marine vessel. The joystick allows the operator to manoeuver the marine vessel in a lateral direction, i.e. in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the marine vessel. This lateral directional movement is achieved by independently steering the propulsion units of the marine vessel to effect vector thrusting. For example, in a marine vessel provided with two propulsion units, shifting one of the propulsion units into reverse and simultaneously shifting the other propulsion unit into forward while selectively adjusting the steering angles of the propulsion units can cause the marine vessel to move in a lateral direction. The joystick controls both steering functions and shift and control functions during docking. Such conventional steering systems are also typically provided with a helm for steering the marine vessel on open water and a control lever for controlling shift and throttle functions on open water. An example of a conventional steering system is disclosed in PCT International Application Publication Number WO 2013/123208 A1.